A. Field
The present invention relates to an automatic water supply nozzle for animals and an automatic water supply cap for animals, each to be used mainly for breeding experimental animals or pet animals such as rats, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits.
B. Background
A conventional automatic water supply nozzle for animals is equipped with a cylindrical body having a water supply port and a water inlet port and, in the cylindrical body, a valve for controlling a water supply rate and a stem for opening and closing the valve. In this automatic water supply nozzle, water is supplied to the water supply port from a water supply container when animals pull, push, or horizontally swing a portion of the stem protruded from the water supply port with their mouth to open the valve for controlling water supply rate (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-287572).
In this nozzle, water is continuously supplied from the water supply container to the water supply port of the nozzle during water supply. Upon water supply to animals after meal, food powders around their mouth attach to the water supply port or stem and further, they are dissolved in or mixed with the water in the nozzle. According to the principle that a liquid flows from a high concentration region thereof to a low concentration region thereof, water having the food powders dissolved therein or mixed therewith flows up in the nozzle and enters the water supply container, and therefore the water in the water supply container is contaminated.
In addition, a variety of empty plastic bottles or glass bottles which are ordinarily used cannot be currently used as a water supply container for animals, because the conventional water supply nozzle is integrally attached to a water supply container exclusively used therefor.